iOnly Wanna Be With You
by liz-beth531
Summary: Why did I ever let her go? He thought sullenly. She still hadn’t completely forgiven him, he could tell by the way she had greeted him. Clearly even a year apart couldn’t cool her down from the biggest mistake of his life. Eventual SEDDIE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: OK, this is my first iCarly fanfic. Hope you guys like it!**

**Don't own iCarly!**

CHAPTER 1

"Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires."

~Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Carly sat near the airport security gate, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her friends. Freddie's plane was due to land any minute, followed by Sam's about an hour later. The screen depicting the times displayed that Freddie's plan had landed She stared down the hallway at a cluster of exiting airplane passengers, tapping her foot impatiently. Where was that boy? Her eyes scanned the passers-by, looking desperately for some hint of a familiar face. A year of college probably would have changed Freddie a little bit, but she was still pretty confident she could pick him out of a crowd. A tall, good-looking man passed her by, giving her a small smile and nod as he glanced down at her. She smiled back half-heartedly. He walked a few steps further, came to a sudden stop, and pivoted quickly on his toes.

"Carly?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows.

"How do you know my name?" she asked suspiciously. He walked closer to her, a lazy grin spreading across his face. He sat down on the bench next to her and dropped his suitcase on the floor. She started to inch away

"You really don't recognize your former tech producer?" he asked, spreading his arms out.

"Freddie?" she gasped. He nodded. She screamed and threw her arms around his waist. He had grown nearly a foot since he left high school. His hair was cut shorter and streaked with gold, and he had clearly hit the gym a few times. Thick ropes of muscle covered his arms. "Oh my God," Carly exclaimed, laughing. "You look so…different."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is." She smiled.

"You look pretty different yourself," he added. Carly had also grown up in just a year of college. Her body had filled out to gorgeous curves that hadn't been there senior year. Her hair had grown past her shoulders and hung in luscious waves around her face, a thick strip of red adorning the right side of her hair. Carly smiled at Freddie.

"It's so great to see you again," she said, taking his hands in her own. His dark brown eyes looked down into her hazel ones. Carly felt her pulse speed up.

_Wow,_ she thought, _things really have changed, haven't they?_

"It's great to see you too," Freddie replied in his deep baritone voice. "It seems like forever since we were all together, huh?" She nodded.

"We're not all together yet though," she said weakly.

"Oh yeah," he said, looking up at the screen that displayed landing times. "When is Sam getting here?"

"Oh, about an hour, give or take. You know how planes can be." He nodded.

"Guess we've got some time to kill," he said, letting go of her hands. "How's life been for you?"

"Oh fine. I'm still living at home with Spencer." Freddie raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked. Carly gave him an 'are-you-serious-right-now' look.

"Would you trust Spencer in a house by himself?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"Good point."

"Anyway, school was good. I managed an A in all of my classes this year, but then again I'm not taking the smart people classes like you are." Freddie shrugged.

"Journalists don't need classes like calculus to get by I guess," he replied. She shook her head.

"I don't understand how you could be going into engineering," she answered. "I'd probably kill myself before I gave a damn about the value of x and y." Freddie chuckled.

"It's actually a lot more complex than that. You see…"

"Stop," Carly interjected before he could go any further. "You'll make my brain explode." Carly and Freddie soon became lost in their conversation about school, new friends, the future, and new love interests.

"So far, I haven't really seen anyone I like," Freddie said. "I mean, I'm too wrapped up in school work to notice any girls anyway. Plus…," his voice trailed off, but Carly could tell where, or who, his mind was drifting to.

"I've met a few guys that have caught my eye," she said, trying to take his mind off of her. "I don't know though, we'll see what happens I guess." Freddie nodded. He looked at Carly, a distraught look on his face.

"I really just can't stop thinking about her, and how it all ended," he said softly.

"Um…I probably should've told you this earlier, but Sam says she's bringing someone with her."

"Who?" Freddie asked.

"She didn't say. Just that she thinks I'll approve." Freddie felt his heart sink slightly.

_Maybe it's nothing, _he thought. _Probably just a roommate or something._

As if on cue, a petite blonde girl burst through the security exit. A duffel bag hung heavily on her shoulder, but the weight didn't seem to have any affect on her. She was dragging a tall, thin boy behind her. He had dirty blonde hair and vivid green eyes. A tight, sleeveless T-shirt vaguely defined his six-pack abs. Sam's eyes quickly landed on the Freddie and Carly. She dropped the boy's hand and her suitcase and ran. Carly stood up just in time for Sam to jump on her, enveloping her in a tight hug. The girls both laughed, hugging each other like it was the last time they'd ever see one another. The boy came up behind them, carrying Sam's suitcase with him. Sam finally let go of Carly and turned to Freddie. Their eyes locked and Freddie felt his heart speed up slightly.

"Freddie," she said formally, sticking out her hand. Freddie took it awkwardly.

"This isn't a job interview, Sam," he said lightly. "You're allowed to give me a hug or something." Sam looked at him as if contemplating something then shook her head. She gave his hand a small shake and backed away. She smiled at her two old friends before turning to the guy behind her.

"Carly, Freddie," she said, gesturing to the boy, "this is Jason, my boyfriend."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Don't own it!**

CHAPTER 2

"Can miles truly separate you from friends?...If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?"

~Richard Bach

_"Carly, Freddie," she said, gesturing to the boy, "this is Jason, my boyfriend."_

Freddie felt his heart stop. Boyfriend? When did she get a boyfriend? It'd hadn't been _that_ long since they'd broken up. Why the sudden move on? Freddie turned to look at Carly. A huge grin was spread across her face. She was looking straight at Sam, doing some stupid girl silent communication thing they always seem to be doing.

"Well," Carly said suddenly, "let's head home!" Freddie groaned slightly.

"Really not that excited to see my mom again," he mumbled. Carly giggled.

"You'll probably be over my house the whole time anyway," she answered. He nodded but didn't reply.

"Carls," Sam called from behind them, "I'm staying at your place, right?"

"Sam, do you ever not stay at my house?"

"Well, I'm just making sure it's ok with you and Spencer still."

"It's fine," Carly said, laughing slightly. "You know you're like a sister to me and Spence."

"Well, what about Jason?" Carly waved her hand through the air as if to say 'don't worry about it'.

"You'll stay in my room; he can stay on the couch. No big deal."

"Are you cool with the couch?" Sam asked Jason. He nodded.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm cool with anything," he said smoothly. Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Douche," he muttered under his breath. Carly discreetly hit his arm. "What?" he hissed through his teeth.

"Be nice," Carly answered. "I know this is a big thing for you, but we're here for the summer. Please try to act civil to him." Freddie sighed.

"I'm not making any promises," he answered. He glanced back over his shoulder at Sam. She certainly was beautiful; a year of college hadn't changed that, though Freddie wasn't expecting it would. Her blonde hair was cut shorter and hung in gorgeous, straight whisps across her shoulders. Her bangs were swept to one side to reveal her baby blue eyes more clearly. All the emotions he'd ever felt towards her rushed into him at once when he looked at her.

_Why did I ever let her go?_ He thought sullenly. He shook his head. She still hadn't completely forgiven him, he could tell by the way she had greeted him. Clearly even a year apart couldn't cool her down from the biggest mistake of his life.

Freddie hadn't even realized they were riding in a cab until they were almost home. He looked around, trying to catch up on what he'd missed on the way down. Carly and Sam were wrapped up and a girly dicussion, whispering intensley to each other. Somehow, Freddie had would up sitting next to Jason. He looked over to the blonde boy. Jason smiled and nodded; Freddie just turned back to the window.

_Be nice!_ Carly's voice seemed to scold him in his mind. He sighed heavily and turned back to Jason.

"Hey," he grumbled. "You and Sam, huh?" Jason nodded.

"Been about 8 months now," he replied. Freddie remained silent. "Hey, I know you and Sam had a thing back in high school, and I'm sorry if you still love her or whatever." Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for your concern, but I don't need your sympathy. I don't still love Sam, and I haven't since we broke up so don't kid yourself, alright?" Jason chuckled lightly.

"Whatever, man." Freddie grumbled and turned his attention back to the window. He could pick up a few lines from Sam and Carly's whispered conversation.

"He's so cute," Carly whispered. "Definitely a keeper!"

"I know," Sam replied, a giddy smile plastered onto her face. "He's so perfect."

"What about Freddie?"

"What about him?"

"Well, you're around him again for the first time since you've broken up. How do you feel about that?"

"Carls," Sam whispered simply, "I don't love him anymore. He broke my heart big time, and I'm not exactly going to greet him with open arms after what he did." Carly nodded. She leaned in closer to Sam, being sure that nobody else could hear.

"I think he's still in love with you."

"Well then he shouldn't have screwed up so badly," Sam answered.

"So you really don't like him anymore?"

"Not one bit," Sam assured her. Carly was silent for a minute, wringing her hands together slightly.

"So, you won't be mad if I start liking him?"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

"Sometimes it's hard to be a woman giving all your love to just one man."

~Tammy Wynette

_"So, you won't be mad if I start liking him?"_

Sam was in momentary shock. Had Carly really just asked permission to start liking Freddie? _Freddie_ of all people!

"Um…I guess not," Sam replied. "But, why?"

"Oh, come on. Even _you_ can't deny that the gym has been good to that boy." Sam scoffed.

"The boy doesn't deserve anything to be good to him," she mumbled. Carly sighed.

"Sam, I know your break up with Freddie sucked, but you're with Jason now, right?" Sam nodded. "So, just forget about it and try to have a good summer, alright?"

"Fine," she said, "but I'm not making any promises." The cab pulled up to the apartment complex as Sam was finishing her thought.

_That makes two of you_, Carly thought as she and her friends exited the taxi. Sam, Freddie, and Jason walked around to the back to pull their luggage out of the cab as Carly paid the driver. They met back up in front of the front door; Sam lagging slightly behind with Jason, and Freddie falling into step next to Carly.

"I can't believe she actually likes him," Sam whispered to Jason. "She knows what he did to me." Jason shrugged.

"People change, honey."

"I just don't want my best friend to get hurt," Sam answered.

"Are you sure that's what all this is about?' Jason asked. Sam looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you and Freddie had a lot of feelings for each other, and you haven't seen him since the break up. I would be surprised if…"

"Jason," Sam interrupted. She reached for his hand, "that's ancient history. Right now, it's just you and me."

"And ham," Jason added, smiling. Sam nodded.

"Mama does love her ham," she agreed. The four of them entered the Shay's appartment to find Spencer bent over what appeared to be a hunk of metal.

"Dare I ask?" Carly said. Spencer turned around, a giant smile forming on his face.

"Freddie! Sam! It's been forever!" He ran up and hugged each of them, then paused at Jason.

"Who's this?"

"My boyfriend," Sam answered.

"Ah," Spencer turned back to Jason. "A friend of Sam's is a friend of mine." He shook Jason's hand. "Welcome to our house."

"Thanks," he answered. "Glad I've got a place to stay this summer."

"What are you making here?" Freddie asked, interrupting the conversation. Spencer dashed back over to his creation.

"Just a little welcome gift," he answered. He flipped a switch to reveal a sign that read "WELCOME BACK, SAM AND FREDDIE!" in giant, neon letters. The group aw'd and applauded his creation. Suddenly, the sign burst into flames. Sam, Freddie, and Jason made a dash to a far corner while Carly ran for the fire extinguisher. Sam found herself sandwiched between the two boys as they tried to get as far away from the inferno as possible. Freddie's hand briefly brushed over Sam's. It lingered for just long enough for her to not the similarities between his and Jason's hands. She looked up at him to say something, and felt her words get caught in her thoat. Her blue eyes locked with his brown ones. She vaguely heard Spencer screaming at his creation, and Carly lecturing him about fire extinguishers and electrical wiring. Time seemed to stand still as she looked into her ex-boyfriend's eyes. Suddenly, Jason's voice broke her from her trance and stare.

"Well, glad that's over," he said. Sam looked back at him and nodded absently.

"Yeah," she replied, "me too." She wasn't talking about the fire.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys! Glad to know you like it :-). Now, here's a nice little Seddie chapter! Enjoy :-)**

**Still don't own it!**

CHAPTER 4

"A man reserves his true and deepest love not for the species of woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled, but for the one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy."

~George Jean Nathan

~*3 Years Ago*~

"And that's a wrap!" Freddie exclaimed, ending the latest episode of iCarly. The girls smiled and high-fived each other.

"Nice episode, guys!" Carly said.

"Best ever!" Sam added. Freddie smiled in agreement.

"So, what now?" he asked.

"I'm gonna go get some soda and make sure Spencer hasn't killed himself," Carly answered.

"We've only been up here for ten minutes," Sam replied. "What makes you think…" Sam was interrupted by a loud crash followed from a _DAMMIT!!_ from the first floor.

"When you live with Spencer, you come to expect anything," Carly answered. She exited the studio and called down to Spencer

"What did you break this time?"

"Um…nothing…." Carly groaned and shut the door behind her as she began to make her way downstairs. Freddie had finished cleaning up his tech equipment, and proceeded to stand by his computer awkwardly. He looked up at Sam who was lounging on a beanbag chair, staring at the wall. He smiled as he looked at her. He'd always thought everything about her was beautiful, even her extremely guy-like eating habbits. He found his mind drifting back (not for the first time) to the night they each shared their first kiss on his fire escape. Before that day, Sam had been nothing but a very obnoxious sort-of friend. Afterwards, his entire preception of the girl changed. He began to look at her through new eyes; eyes that found her extremely attractive, not frightening. Sure, Freddie had had his share of girlfriends since that night in middle school, but none lasted more than a few months. He'd always found his heart aching for a certain blonde teen who made it a point to make him miserable all the time. In other words, no other girls he dated could ever measure up to the intense emotions he held for Sam.

Freddie decided that he and Sam would probably be in the studio together for a while, and tried to think of something to break the awkward silence and keep his thoughts from betraying him even more.

"So…" he began, looking at the blonde girl. She looked up at him, icy blue eyes meeting warm, brown ones.

"What up, dork?" she asked. Freddie ignored it, making his way over to the other beanbag chair.

"Remember that time you put a fish in my backpack in middle school?" he asked. Sam laughed.

"Then you handcuffed me to Gibby," she added. He shook his head.

"Can you believe what a big deal we made out of that?"

"Or how you acted like a pussy when I told everyone you'd never been kissed." Freddie's jaw dropped.

"That was a hard time in my life, no thanks to you," he fought back sarcastically.

"Please, you actually moped on your fire escape for _days_ because people were making fun of you."

"Don't remind me," he grumbled. "Although I do recall a certain someone meeting me on the fire escape that night." Sam looked down, smiling shyly. Freddie could've sworn he saw a hint of pink creep across her cheeks.

"Yeah," she answered, "what of it?"

"Do you ever think about..." he started, his voice trailing off. She looked up at him, confusion swallowing her face. He wrung his hands nervously.

"About what?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me!"

"Alright," he finally gave in. He stopped himself before he went any further. "Wow."

"What?"

"Deja-vu," he answered. "We just need a fire escape and it'll be complete."Sam smiled, nodding.

"Well, a fire escape and one more thing," she answered. Freddie looked into her blue eyes, trying to conjure up the moment from so many years ago. "Well," Sam found herself whispering, "lean." Freddie smiled. He leaned toward the blonde girl slowly, his eyes fluttering shut. His lips landed softly on hers for a moment. He pulled away slowly, a goofy grin forming on his face.

"That was…" he started.

"Short," Sam grumbled. He looked at her, perplexed. She put her hand behind his neck and pulled him towards her, their lips meeting more roughly this time. Freddie felt himself lift out of his beanbag chair onto Sam's, holding himself above her delicate frame. He deepened the kiss, passing his tongue gently across her closed lips. She gladly granted him access. His spare hand began to trail up the small curves of his body and come to rest on her cheek. As the kiss became more intense, he heard Sam moan softly and press herself more firmly against him. Finally, Freddie pulled away for air. Sam's eyes were still closed, but she was breathing heavily.

"Now that," she whispered, "was nice." Freddie grinned. He leaned next to her ear.

"I hate you," he whispered in the same tone he'd used on that life-changing day nearly 3 years ago.

"Really?" she answered. "That sucks, because I kind of really like you." Freddie's heart caught in his throat.

"You..you what?" he asked, raising himself back up to look into her eyes. She shrugged.

"I like you, plain and simple."

"So…I guess that means you'd like to be my girlfriend?" Freddie asked nervously. Sam smiled.

"Definitely," she answered, pulling him down for another kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok, so you guys might kinda hate the ending of this chapter but just hang in there kay? :-) Btw, the chapters from now on kind of alternate time periods. **

**Still don't own it!**

CHAPTER 5

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."

~Ralph Waldo Emmerson

*~Present Day~*

"_Yeah," she replied, "me too." She wasn't talking about the fire. _Carly came up to the group huddling in the corner.

"You see why I don't leave Spencer alone?" she said. Freddie laughed.

"OK, you have a valid excuse for still living at home," he answered. She smiled.

"Um…you guys can come out now. The fire's gone." One by one the three stepped out into the middle of the room.

"Carls won't have to stay home for too much longer!" Spencer called, responding to Freddie's earlier comment.

"Why's that?" Sam asked.

"Because I'm gettin' married!" Spencer said excitedly.

"WHAT?!" Carly, Freddie, and Sam chorused at the same time.

"Married?" Freddie asked.

"To who?" Sam added.

"Why did I know about this?!" Carly demanded.

"Yes, to my girlfriend-now-fiancé, and because I wanted to keep it a surprise until you all got here!" Spencer answered.

"You proposed to _Lizzie_?" Sam asked in shock.

"Wow," Freddie added, "that's…"

"AWESOME!" Carly squealed. She ran across the room, flinging her arms around her older brother. "Oh my god! I'm so happy for you!" Carly pulled away from Spencer. "When did you ask her?"

"Last Saturday. We were in the park…" Spencer continued with his engagement story, but Sam stopped listening. She weakly made her way over to the couch and sat down heavily. Jason followed, sitting next to her.

"What's wrong?" he mumbled. She shook her head. "Sam, something's wrong." She shrugged her shoulders. "Alright," Jason sighed, "I guess if you don't want to tell me…"

"Jason," Sam cut him off. He stopped talking. She took a deep breath. "Let's just say Lizzie and I don't really have such a great past, OK?"

"What happened?" Jason asked.

"I'd prefer to not talk about it."

"Sam…"

"Seriously, don't test me on this one because you _will_ regret it." Jason backed off slightly.

"Alright," he answered. "I'm sorry." Sam nodded. She laid her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Let's just sit here and not think about it, OK?"

"Alright, sweetie." Jason kissed Sam on the top of the head. "You've had a long day. Maybe you need some sleep?" Sam didn't answer; she was already starting to doze off. Jason smiled and gently laid her down on a pillow. He laid down behind her and wrapped his arms around her small figured, drifting off to sleep as well.

Sam awoke a few hours later to the sweet sound of silence. The lights in the appartment had gone out and, for a second, Sam didn't hear a sound coming from anywhere in the building. She propped herself up on her elbows. A blanket that had somehow been put on her while she was sleeping slid off her body slightly. Jason wasn't anywhere to be seen, even if she could see very little in the darkness. As hear ears began to adjust to being awake, she picked up the small sound of whispering. Even through whispers she could detect the voices as Freddie and Carly. She felt her stomach turn slightly at the thought of him. She listened closely, trying to pick up what they were saying, but their voices were too faint. She picked up something about "does he know", "Lizzie", and "Sam". She felt her pulse pick up at the mention of her name. What were they saying about her? Did he still love her? Did he regret what happened? And, more importantly, why the _hell_ did she care so much? She groaned silently and laid back down on the couch, praying that sleep would come back to her.

Carly sat with Freddie in the kitchen, the faint light from the moon softly illuminating his features. They had talked for hours about life, the past, and Sam.

"It's like, sometimes I'm glad we're apart, and other times I can't stop thinking about her, you know?" Freddie confessed. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "God, if I could go back in time, I would change every little detail I ever fucked up." Carly nodded. "There's just this huge part of me that wishes I'd never let her go. I've had a few hopefuls, but I've never had a _real_ girlfriend since Sam."

"Really?" Carly asked, shocked.

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I am. It's just that, you're so cool and funny and cute..."

"I'm no cooler or funnier than I was back in middle school and high school," he said. Carly raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You're no cooler now that you've gotten away from your mom's nazi-hold on you?"

"Good point. I guess you're right."

"And, look, I know this might be a bad time…but I've missed you a lot, and I do find myself thinking about what we could've been quite often. And, maybe it's time you moved on from Sam now that she has a steady boyfriend."

"Where are you going with this?" Freddie asked nervously.

"I was just wondering if, I don't know, maybe we could try the whole relationship thing?"

"So, you're asking me out?" Freddie said. Carly sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm asking you out."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this took a while guys! I've been sorta busy with work and stuff. Anyway, here's chapter 6!!**

CHAPTER 6

"First love is only a little courage and a lot of curiosity."

~George Bernard Shaw

~*2 Years Ago*~

Sam looked in the mirror, smoothing out her bright red dress. She leaned in closer, re-checking her make-up for what felt like the thousandth time. Her golden blonde hair was half up, framing her face with beautiful curls. She curled a loose strand behind her hair.

"Sam, you look awesome!" Carly assured.

"I look like a girl," she mumbled.

"You are a girl," Carly responded, laughing. Sam turned to look at her.

"Yes, but now I actually look like one."

"You look gorgeous. Freddie is gonna be so impressed." Sam smiled slightly.

"Does my make-up look ok? I've never really been able to put it on right."

"It looks fine. Go put your shoes on! Freddie will be here any minute!" Sam ran across the room to the closet where Carly kept the new pair of shoes they had just bought for Sam. They were silver heels with straps that hooked around her ankles. Sam slipped them on, slightly losing her balance on the two-inch heel.

"I can't even walk in these," Sam complained, struggling to make her way back over to her best friend.

"Well, that's why you have Freddie to help you," Carly replied, holding out a small white jacket. "Now put it on and go wait downstairs for your man." Sam slipped the jacket over her shoulders and made her way over to the elevator.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Freddie stepped out of his appartment and made his way over to the Shay's. It wasn't that far of a walk across the hallway, but at the moment, it felt like forever. He straightened his tie and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. A few moments passed before the door opened, revealing a beautiful, dressed up Sam. Freddie's jaw dropped at the sight of her.

"Surprised?" she asked, stepping out of the appartment and shutting the door. Freddie just nodded, speechless. Sam felt her cheeks turn pink. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hallway, "we're going to miss our reservation." Freddie fell into step next to her, unhooking his hand from hers and wrapping it around her waist.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear. She smiled.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she answered. Freddie led Sam down to his car in the parking garage. He opened the passanger door, allowing her to slip inside. He shut the door and quickly made his way over to the driver's side. He got in and looked over at his girlfriend.

"Happy one-year," he said, leaning over the armrests to plant a kiss on her lips.

"You too," she answered, putting her hand over his and lacing their fingers together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Freddie and Sam made their way up the stairs of the appartment complex, laughing.

"That was so much fun," Sam said, pressing herself against Freddie's side. His arm tightened around her waist slightly. He nuzzled his face into her hair as they reached their floor. "I can't believe it's been a year," she continued.

"Me either," Freddie replied, kissing the top of her head. They eventually reached the spot between his appartment and Carly's. "Well, I guess this is goodnight." He leaned down to kiss her, but she stopped him. "What is it?" he asked. She looked into his brown eyes nervously.

"I love you," she said suddenly. Freddie froze, his mouth slightly open. It was the first time either of them had said it. Sam looked at him, expecting a response. When it didn't come, she sighed and shook her head. "Never mind," she said, turning towards the door. Before she opened it, Freddie grabbed her arm and turned her around, his mouth landing roughly on her's. Sam moaned lightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. They finally broke apart and Freddie leaned his forehead against Sam's.

"I love you too," he answered breathlessly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam wasn't exactly sure how it had happened. First, she had confessed her love to Freddie, almost sure he wasn't going to respond positively. Now, she found herself laying on his bed with him on top of her, kissing her with every ounce of passion in his being. He had shed his suit jacket and tie and untucked his shirt. Her hair had made its way out of her hairtie to lay scattered around her face. Freddie made his way from her lips to her neck, kissing the side of her neck, her throat, and her jaw. Sam's hands made their way around to the front of his shirt. She began unbuttoning it with shaky hands. She finally managed to free the last button from its hole and slid the shirt off Freddie's body. She felt his muscles tense slightly under her touch. She ran her hands up and down his sculpted back. Freddie's lips found her's again, his tongue slipping gently between them. He ran his hands up her thigh and under her dress. He felt her sigh into his lips, pressing herself closely to him. She broke the kiss to reach around her neck, untying the straps of her dress. Freddie helped her slide the dress off her small figure.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "I mean, are you sure you want to?" Sam bit her lip nervously.

"I think so," she whispered. He smiled, leaning towards her to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered. She trailed her hands down to his pants, undoing his belt. She slid his pants down, and he kicked them off when they reached his ankles. Sam felt her hands begin to shake more violently. Freddie looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked. She took a deep breath, cupping his face in her hands. She kissed him lightly.

"Not really," she answered, tears brimming her eyes. "I'm sorry Freddie. I just don't think I'm ready for this."

"Shh," Freddie answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Sam, don't cry, it's OK."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Sam, if you're not ready, I'm going to respect that," he assured her, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She nodded, biting her lip to keep it from trembling. Freddie leaned his forehead against her's, looking deeply into her baby blue eyes. "I love you Sam, and just because you're not ready for something like this isn't going to change that." She smiled.

"I love you too, Freddie," she replied weakly. "So much." He kissed her one more time.

"Let's get dressed and get you back to Carly's before she gets worried."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**A/N:** **Yay another Seddie chapter!! Please review and tell me what you think! **

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I had to make a tiny change to chapters 4 and 6. The years have been moved back one because I realized I wasn't in the right time frame. Just to clarify things: in the present, they just finished their freshman year in college. When Freddie asked Sam out, that was going into their junior year of high school. Their one year was going into their senior year. OK! Now onto chapter 7!**

**Oh, btw, thanks for the reviews everyone! ******** Your comments are much appreciated!**

CHAPTER 7

"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship-never."

~Charles Caleb Colton

~*Present Day*~

_"Yeah, I'm asking you out."_ Freddie didn't answer. He sat in front of Carly, searching for the right words. The only thing at the front of his mind was Sam. How would she react? What would she think? "Sam doesn't have to know," Carly replied, as if reading his mind. Freddie sighed.

"I don't know, Carly," he answered finally.

"Why not?" Freddie gently placed his hand on top of her's.

"You're a great friend, but I don't know if you can be my girlfriend."

"Is this because of Sam?" Freddie remained silent. Carly snatched her hand out from under Freddie's. "She has a boyfriend!" Carly said, raising her voice slightly.

"Shh! You'll wake her up!" Freddie scolded in a whisper.

"You need to get over her! You can't spend the rest of the summer pining after her like a lost puppy!" Carly hissed, her voice back down to a whisper.

"She deserves better than that asshole Jason," he responded.

"Oh, and better is you? After what you put her through?"

"Can we not talk about this?" Freddie pleaded.

"How can we just ignore it like it never happened?" Carly demanded. "You hurt her more than you can imagine."

"I know!" Freddie growled. "I made the biggest mistake of my life when I lost her, and you know that."

"Well, I hope you learned your lesson, because she's never coming back."

"I have a question for you," Freddie said. "If you're so pissed about me hurting her, why do you want to go out with me?" Carly averted her eyes to the ground. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't really help that I like you," she finally answered, softly. Freddie's gaze on her narrowed, but she didn't notice

"I can't help that I'm still very much in love with Sam," he mumbled firmly. With that, he stood up and made his way out of her appartment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam had woken up during Carly's near shouting about having a boyfriend or something. She'd been barely concious, but was able to hear everything that happened between _shh you'll wake her up_ and _I can't help that I'm still very much in love with Sam_. She laid on the couch in a daze. Had Freddie really just said that? And did he mean it when he said the biggest mistake of his life was losing her? She could feel the gears in her mind working, and her emotions hastily changing between pure joy and total rage. She groaned under her breath and brought her watch up to her face, squinting to read the time. 2:36. She dropped her wrist down to her side heavily and sighed. She could do one of two things right now: attempt to get back to sleep and deal with these emotions in the morning, or go across the hall and confront Freddie about what she'd heard. She threw the blanket off her body and slid down from the couch. Her bare feet softly landed on the cold wood floor as she tip-toed over to the door.

"What are you doing?" a voice softly asked from behind her. Sam jumped and turned around.

"Oh, Carly, it's just you," she replied, taking a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. Carly nodded.

"That didn't answer my question though," she said, standing up from her spot in the kitchen.

"Look, I'm just going over to Freddork's place," she replied, wincing at the name. How long had it been since she'd called him that?

"Why?" Carly asked. Sam sighed.

"I heard you two talking, and I want to clarify some things. That's all," she answered, opening the door. "I'll be back later." She closed the door before Carly could say anything more. The hallway carpeting felt rough and unfamiliar under her bare feet. She walked the short distance across the hall to Freddie's appartment and knocked loudly on the door. She heard a soft grumble and the sound of shuffling footsteps behind the door.

"What do you want?" an all-too-familiar voice asked as the door opened, revealing a haggard looking Freddie rubbing his eyes.

"We need to talk," Sam answered. Freddie's eyes went wide.

"Sam?" he asked.

"Last time I checked, I was Sam," she answered. "Seriously, let me in we have to talk." Freddie opened the door wider and stepped aside, allowing Sam to enter. Being in his appartment brought back so many memories to Sam. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Freddie came up behind her.

"What's up?" Sam took a deep breath and turned around.

"I heard you talking to Carly," she said. "I think we have some things to discuss."

**A/N: OK, I'm not so sure about this chapter so R&R with what you think! **

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Once again thank you so much for the reviews!! I really appreciate everyone's imput!**

CHAPTER 8

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

~Ingrid Bergman

~*Present Day*~

"_I heard you talking to Carly," she said. "I think we have some things to discuss."_ Freddie nodded nervously.

"Well," he said, "start discussing." Sam walked around his appartment, taking in the surroundings. It hadn't changed a bit since they'd dated. His mom even still kept old pictures of the two of them on the mantle.

"Why does your mom still have these?" Sam asked, picking up one of the photos. Freddie shrugged.

"She liked you, I guess. I haven't dated anyone since you, really." Sam nodded, placing the picture back on the mantle. She wasn't really interested in why Mrs. Benson kept those pictures, she was really just trying to stall the discussion due to the fact she didn't know how to start. She made her way over to the couch and sat down softly, patting the spot next to her. Freddie made his way over, sitting as far away from her as possible.

"I'm not going to bite," Sam said. Freddie didn't move. Sam sighed.

"I thought we had things to discuss," Freddie replied, desperately wanting the tension in the room to subside a little. Sam nodded.

"I…sort of heard you say you were still in love with me," Sam said, looking down at her feet. "I also heard you say losing me was the biggest mistake of your life."

"You did, did you?" Freddie replied weakly. Sam looked up at him, her eyes big and full of emotion.

"Did you mean it?" Freddie hesitated, then slowly nodded.

"Yeah, I really did."

"If you really feel that way, then why did you…"

"Sam," Freddie cut her off, "I swear if I could turn back time, I would stop it all. If I could go back and change things, we'd still be together. You wouldn't be with that idiot Jason."

"He's not an idiot," Sam mumbled. "He's very sweet."

"You deserve better than him!" Freddie just about shouted. He made a mental note to be thankful his mother was out of town for the weekend. Sam turned to look at him.

"How dare you tell me what or who I deserve!" Sam shouted back, edging closer to him. "Jason cares about me! He'd never hurt me, he'd never do what you did!"

"You don't think I regret that decision every second of my life?"

"No," Sam shot back. "I don't think so, because in the long run, you chose to do it. I hope it was worth it."

"Nothing in the world is worth losing you," Freddie growled through clenched teeth. They were barely inches apart now, sizing each other up as the argument continued.

"Well, you did," Sam hissed, standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a boyfriend to get back to; one that actually cares about me." She began walking towards the door as Freddie scoffed.

"You think that asshole actually _cares_ about you?" Sam whipped around, staring daggers at the boy.

"More than you'll ever know," she seethed.

"Wanna bet?" Freddie said, standing up. In a few long strides, he was in front of her again, less than an inch away. "He doesn't care about you even half as much as I do." Sam rolled her eyes and turned away, reaching for the door handle. Freddie came up right behind her, pressing his hands against the door on either side of her.

"Do you love him?" he whispered into her ear. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, I do." She turned around to meet Freddie's gaze. "I really do." He laughed and shook his head.

"You're such a liar." Before she could react, Freddie's mouth was on her's, kissing her hard. She groaned and slumped back against the door. Freddie's kiss was rough and hungry against her mouth, fueld by passion, lust, and love. Sam moaned into his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back equally as hard. His teeth grazed her bottom lip and she let out a sigh, pressing herself more firmly against his strong body. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground, pressing her against the wall as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her breathing became heavy as he kissed her neck.

"Why don't…we move this…to the bed?' she gasped between breaths. Freddie looked up at her, his eyes filled with desire. He nodded, flipping her around to carry her to his room bridal style. He dropped her on the bed and was on top of her in seconds, smothering her with firey, passionate kisses. They began to shed their clothes, and this time, Sam didn't chicken out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam lay on Freddie's bed, covered in a thin cotton sheet. Freddie lay next to her, his arm draped across her torso. Sam stared up at the ceiling, blinking back tears that dared to spill over her cheeks.

"What just happened?" Sam whispered.

"I'm pretty sure we just had sex," Freddie mumbled back drowsily.

"I know that, dumbass. I meant why did we?" Freddie propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at the blonde girl. He tucked a damp piece of hair behind her ear and shrugged.

"I didn't hear you denying it."

"I should've," Sam mumbled. "I have a boyfriend, for god's sake!"

"He doesn't have to find out," Freddie responded.

"So, we're just going to keep this up without telling him?" Sam asked angrily. "Hey Sam! Let's be fuck buddies and keep your boyfriend in the dark!"

"That's not what I meant," Freddie defended. "I meant, he doesn't have to know about this one time." Sam was silent. Freddie sighed. "Does this Jason kid really make you happy?" he asked. She nodded. "And you really want to be with him right now?" Sam didn't respond for a few seconds.

"I don't want to get hurt again," she finally choked out. Freddie kissed her forehead.

"I'm not here to hurt you again," he whispered. "If Jason is the one you want to be with, I'm not going to stop you." Sam turned to him, tears filling her eyes. She traced the outline of his jaw with her fingers, looking deeply into his warm chocolate eyes.

"For what it's worth," she said, her voice barely audible, "I've never stopped loving you, either."

**A/N: Hoped you guys liked a little current Seddie action lol. Anyway, reviews are much appreciated, as always!!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, guys! Now, here's a bit of a depressing chapter. Finally, you will learn what Freddie did to Sam. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 9

"The way to love anything is to realize it might be lost."

~Gilbert K. Chesterton

~*1 year ago*~

Freddie paced nervously around his room mentally willing the nerves in his stomach to loosen. He had just gotten off the phone with Sam who had told him to cancel the dinner reservations for tonight.

"Let's celebrate our two-year a little differently today," she had said slyly. "Is your mom home?" Freddie had told her no. He could almost see the mischievous grin spreading across her face though the phone. "I'll be over in a few minutes."

Freddie didn't really know what she meant by "celebrate a little differently", but he had a few ideas. Part of him really hoped those ideas were right. He and the woman he loved would be off to college in a few short months, and he was ready to give himself completely to her; to bond in only a way those deeply in love could.

He sighed heavily and continued pacing, fingering something roughly in his pocket. It was small and cool against his fingers, though the friction from his hands had caused it to warm up slightly. He pulled it out and looked at it, a smile forming on his face. It was a small ring with a gold band with a tiny diamond (ok, cubic zirconium, but did that _really_ matter right now?) attached at the top. It wasn't a _real_ engagement ring, it was more like a promise of one; a promise that he would love her and only her for the rest of his life.

A sudden knock on the door startled him. He shoved the ring back in his pocket and took a deep breath before walking to answer the door.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said as the door swung open. It took him a second to realize that Sam wasn't on the other side.

"You're not too bad yourself," the girl answered, winking.

"Hey, Lizzie…" Freddie said, eyeing the face of his ex girlfriend suspiciously. She was a few years older than him, but had taken quite an interest in him his freshman year for some reason. "Shouldn't you be next door?"

"Spencer and I broke up," she stated simply. "Can I come in?"

"Um…now isn't really the best time…"

"I'll only be a few minutes, I promise," she said innocently, stepping around him into his appartment. Freddie sighed and closed the door.

"Look, Sam is going to be here any minute…"

"You're still _with_ that girl?" Lizzie gasped, plopping down on the couch. "How long has it been?"

"Two years, today," Freddie answered simply. "Look, you really should go."

"Freddie," Lizzie replied, standing up to walk over to him, "I'd forgotten how cute you were. And now you're so grown up." She smirked deviously and Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Why are you here?" he asked frankly.

"I missed my Freddie," she said, sticking her lower lip out in mock-pouting fashion. She reached out to straighten the collar of his shirt. "Is that such a crime?"

"When I have a girlfriend, kinda," he said, grabbing her wrists and pushing them off of him. Lizzie smirked again, leaning forward towards his ear.

"You know," she whispered, "I've always liked a little taboo."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam made her way to the fifth floor of the apartment complex, wringing her hands nervously. She had thought this night through her head nearly a thousand times in the past half hour. She'd planned every move and every line for every possible scenerio. Tonight, there wouldn't be any screw-ups. Tonight, she wouldn't chicken out. Tonight, she was going to give every part of herself to the man she loved more than life itself.

"Tonight's the night," she whispered to herself as she made her way down the hallway to her boyfriend's appartment. She took a deep breath, smoothing out her outfit. She'd taken nearly an hour to find the most appropriate outfit for tonight-extremely sexy, yet incredibly stylish. She smiled, wiping her palms off on her shorts before knocking on the door. When nobody answered, she knocked again.

_Where is that boy?_ she thought anxiously. She raised her hand to knock again, then paused. She heard voices behind the closed door-clearly a boy and a girl. She listened harder. The boy was definitely Freddie, but the girl was definitely not his mother. What on earth was he doing with another girl in his appartment? She twisted the doorknob slowly, testing to see if it was locked. It wasn't. She slammed the door open.

"Benson," she yelled, "what is the meaning of…" she stopped in mid-sentence, her breath catching in her throat. In front of her, laying on the couch, was Freddie. On top of him was Spencer's girlfriend, Lizzie (Sam had yet to find out Lizzie and Spencer were broken up). Their lips were frozen in mid-make out. Lizzie looked up at Sam, and immediately jumped off Freddie, straightening out her hair and clothes. Sam felt the floor spinning beneath her feet. The whole room seemed off-balance. Her breathing became rapid and hear heart began to slam against her chest. Her stomach knotted tightly, threatening to release it's contents all over Freddie's appartment floor. She backed towards the door slowly, shaking her head.

"Sam!" Freddie called,. "Sam, it's not what you think!"

"I think you're making out with a girl who isn't me, and call me crazy, but I think that's what you're doing." Hot tears began to build up in Sam's eyes, threatening to spill over her reddening cheeks. Freddie desperately reached into his pocket, attempting to pull out the ring as quickly as he could.

"Sam, I can explain!" he called as she turned towards the door. She whipped back around.

"So can I," she seethed. "I never, _ever_ want to see your no good cheating ass ever again." With that, she ran out of his appartment, slamming the door behind her. Freddie felt his entire body turn to jello. The ring slipped between his fingers, landing with a soft _cling_ on the wood floor.

**A/N: A depressing chapter, I know. And it probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now, but things will clear up later. You'll just have to wait and see :-D. So, R&R with your thoughts. Love you all!!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Ok, from now on the chapters will be in the present, so I won't specify the time period anymore. And to answer alphonzo92's question: no, Melanie will not be making an appearance. Sorry :-(. **

CHAPTER 10

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."

~James A. Baldwin

"_For what it's worth,"_ _she said, her voice barely audible, "I've never stopped loving you either."_ Those words continued to ring through Freddie's head long after Sam had left his appartment. He lay in his bed, staring up at the pattern on his ceiling. After everything he'd put her through, she still loved him. Freddie couldn't wrap his mind around it. However, he could understand why she'd go back to Jason. He had cheated on her, after all, even if it wasn't totally his fault. Regardless, he didn't deserve someone as great as her. He sighed, turning onto his side roughly. His fingers gingerly brushed the part of his bed were Sam had been lying less than an hour ago. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine her still lying there, wrapped in his arms. If he tried hard enough, he could still smell traces of her shampoo on the pillow.

"Sam," he breathed almost slilently. He groaned in annoyance and sat up in his bed, running his fingers through his hair angrily. "What am I doing?" he asked himself. "Why am I letting her go again?" When no answer came, he flopped back down on his back, staring at the ceiling again. Warm tears flooded his vision, blurring the pattern on the ceiling. Everything in his mind told him to go back to Carly's appartment and try to sweep Sam off her feet. His common sense told him that would be the worst idea in the world. He knew she went back to Jason for a reason, and that reason certainly wasn't to break up with him. Freddie turned to his other side towards a nightstand that sat next to his bed. He reached over to it and pulled the small drawer off its tracks. He sat up and placed the drawer on his lap, sorting through its contents as best he could in the dark room. He uncovered old pictures of him and Sam, a few notes she had written him in school, and a colorful keychain made out of embroidery floss Sam had made him for his birthday. Finally, he uncovered the item he was looking for-a small brown package shoved to the very back of the drawer. He took it out and emptied its contents into his hand. The small ring felt too heavy against his hand. He closed his hand around it tightly, inhaling deeply to prevent tears from spilling over his eyes.

"This was supposed to be her's," he mumbled, the diamond starting to cut into his hand slightly. "This was supposed to be the symbol of our being together forever." He opened his eyes again and un-wrapped his hand to look down at the small trinket. He sighed sadly and let it slide between his fingers back into the drawer. He slid the drawer back into his night stand. As he laid back down on his pillow, the tears finally spilled down the side of his face. "I guess it was never meant to be."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam lay in the guest bed next to Jason, looking at his sleeping figure. His eyes were shut peacefully, as if his life couldn't be better. Sam sighed, brushing loose strands of his golden hair away from his eyes. She traced the outline of his face with her finger, trying to memorize every crevice and curve. She cupped his face with her hand gently and noticed how much it felt like Freddie's. She retracted her hand quickly as if it was burning, cursing the thought. Jason was nothing like Freddie; Jason was better. He would never hurt her, never treat her unkindly, never cheat on her…

That thought made her realize how unworthy of his love she was. She sighed deeply, sadly, wishing she could take this whole night back. What really prompted her to go over Freddie's, anyway? What was she _really_ expecting would happen? Did she really think she'd go over there, bitch him out, and come back to Jason, really having accomplished nothing? Sam turned back to Jason, and for a brief second, she saw Freddie's face in his. Sam shook her head violently, trying to clear the picture. She placed her hand back on his cheek, running her thumb over his lips. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He looked at her, confused.

"Sam?" he mumbled sleepily. "Why are you here?" Sam shrugged and remained silent. Jason blinked a few times before sitting up. He looked down at his girlfriend. "Is everything alright?" he asked worridly.

"I just…" Sam started, her voice trailing off. Jason raised an eyebrow. Sam took a deep breath and sat up, taking Jason's hands in her's. "It's just really hard being around Freddie again, I guess. I heard him and Carly talking a little bit ago, and she asked him out. He said no but…I don't know. It's just the thought of it, you know? I don't love him anymore, but still! She's my best friend, she knows what he did to me, and it's the first day I've really been around him since the break up, and it's probably really stupid…" Jason put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Babe," he whispered softly, "it's alright. It's not stupid at all. You were with this kid for over twice as long as we've been together. I can understand how you'd get a little jealous of Carly asking him out." Sam made a pfft sound.

"I'm not jealous," she said and little too abrasively. Jason slipped a blonde curl behind her ear. He nodded, though he didn't believe a word of that sentence. "I love you," Sam added, hoping that it sounded more genuine than her previous statement.

"I love you too," Jason replied. He leaned forward, kissing her softly on the lips. Before he could pull away, Sam grabbed the back of his head, kissing him forcefully. She pulled away and looked deeply into his hazel eyes, secretly thanking God that he didn't have the same color eyes as Freddie.

"What was that for?" Jason asked, a goofy grin spread across his face. Sam shrugged.

"Is it a crime to want to kiss my boyfriend?" she asked innocently. He smiled.

"No, not really." Sam took a deep breath.

"Look, I want you to know that there's nothing between me and Freddie anymore, ok? The past is the past, and I don't even want to talk to the kid anymore let alone be with him." Sam hoped she sounded convincing. Jason nodded.

"You don't have to break off your friendship for me," he said, though Sam could tell he was only saying that to be nice.

"I'm doing it to be sure we can stay together, and that Freddie doesn't get some idea that I want to be with him again," she assured. Her words sounded convincing enough, but inside, she was breaking apart. She knew she loved Freddie more than she could ever love Jason; however, she also knew her heart couldn't stand to be shattered anymore. With a heavy heart, she forced out the final part of her speech: "In fact, I'll stop talking to him for the rest of the summer, just for you."

**A/N: So…a bit of a filler chapter, but I needed it for where I want to go with this story. Hope you guys didn't get too bored of it! R&R if you'd like. Love you all!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! And I'm updating as fast as I can! lol I really can only update at night because I need to use my mom's computer since my home one has a really bad virus. Trust me, if I could update during the day, I would, but my mom needs her computer for work lol. **

**Alphonzo92- Don't worry, Jason's actually about to be a little more "human" in these next few chapters :-). **

CHAPTER 11

~*July*~

"Love means not ever having to say you're sorry."

~Erich Segal

Sam sat on the Shay's couch in their living room, a giant bowl of popcorn nestled between her legs. Jason sat next to her, his arm draped casually around her shoulders. She laid her head on his shoulder, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her face.

"It really amazes me you can eat like that and still stay so sexy," Jason commented, looking down at Sam. She shrugged.

"High metabolism," she said around a mouth full of popcorn. Jason laughed, reaching into the bowl for his own handful. Sam snatched it away from him. "Get your own!" Jason rolled his eyes in good humor, turning back to the TV.

"What are we watching, anyway?"

"Girly Cow," Sam responded, reaching for another handful of popcorn.

"Don't you think you're a little old for Girly Cow?"

"C'mon, it's mine and Carls' favorite show."

"From middle school."

"Just shut up and watch it." Jason stayed silent, much to Sam's content. After a few minutes of silence, Jason turned back to Sam.

"Where is Carly, anyway?" Sam shrugged.

"Over at Freddork's house, probably," she answered. "She's all he's got now considering I won't talk to him." As if on cue, Carly and Freddie entered the apartment.

"And speak of the devil," Sam muttered.

"Hey guys!" Carly said cheerfuly.

"What's up?" Freddie added. Sam turned around, looking at the both of them.

"Hi Carly," she responded before turning back to the television. Freddie stared at her in confusion.

"What's been with her lately?" he whispered to Carly. She shrugged.

"Beats me," she responded. "Did something happen with you two?" Freddie immediately looked down at the ground.

"No," he said a little too sharply. "What makes you think that?"

Carly glanced over at the couch, seeing Sam and Jason were wrapped up in the show. "Can I talk to you in private?" she hissed, grabbing his arm before he could answer and dragging him up the stairs to the iCarly studio. Once they were safely inside, she slammed the door shut.

"Ok, spill Benson," she demanded. Freddie was rubbing his arm.

"Why do I feel like I'm in the presence of Sam right now?"

"What happened between you two?" she asked, ignoring his last question.

"Nothing…"

"FREDDIE!"

"OK! That night you…asked me out…she kind of heard and came over to my house to confront me. We sorta made out and…"

"And? There's an AND?!" Freddie nodded. "Oh my god! I can't believe you! Do you realize you're not helping _anyone_ by trying to be part of her life again?!"

"She started it!" he defended, knowing it was a total lie. Carly glared at him. "Ok, maybe not, but she went along with it! If _she _wanted me out of her life so badly, she'd have said so herself."

"She can't! She still loves you!"

"So you decide for her?" Carly nodded. "Why do _you_ get to decide whether or not I'm part of Sam's life anymore?" Freddie challenged.

"I'm her best friend! I know what's best for her!" Freddie glared at her.

"I think you just want what's best for _you_," he seethed. "Taking me out of her life isn't going to make me automatically fall in love with you again, so just lay off!" Carly looked at the floor, hurt spreading across her features. Freddie immediately wished he could take the words back.

"Carls…"

"Just, forget it," she said, her voice suddenly soft. "I know it's not my place trying to control Sam's life." Freddie walked up to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. Carly looked up at him, her eyes filled with emotion. Freddie detected something much deeper than hurt at his words, but couldn't figure out what it was.

"Don't worry about it," Carly responded. A half smile formed on her lips, but it never reached her eyes. Freddie sighed.

"I just, I really love her, Carls, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to feel this way about anyone else, you know?" Carly's half smile grew to a full smile, but Freddie could still read right past it.

"She's a lucky girl," Carly mused. "Look, I think you two need to talk." Freddie sighed.

"We already talked," he grumbled. "Look where it's gotten us."

"No, I mean really talk. I mean sit down and have a conversation about the past and possible future."

"Um, one slight problem…she has a boyfriend!"

"Well, clearly that doesn't stop her," Carly said, backing away from Freddie. "I'll send her up now."

"Carls…" Freddie began, trying to protest. She stopped him, holding up her hand.

"It's the least I can do after…" her voice trailed off. She shook her head and turned around, opening the door. "Be back in a few!"

**A/N: Sorry guys, another bit of a filler chapter, but that's why I'm posting two tonight just so there's not a ton of suspense. So, don't worry the next one will be better!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."

~James A. Baldwin

"_It's the least I can do after…" her voice trailed off. She shook her head and turned around, opening the door. "Be back in a few!" _Freddie sat on the beanbag in anticipation, wringing his hands nervously. Sam had hardly spoken to him in a month, and he seriously doubted she'd suddenly be ready for speaking. He heard some footsteps and muffled voices behind the door and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst. Sam abruptly burst through the door, then stopped in her tracks, eyeing Freddie angrily.

"You're not ham," she observed.

"Last time I checked, I was human," Freddie responded.

"Carly!" Sam yelled at the top of her lungs over her shoulder.

"Just talk to him!" Carly's voice called from down the hall. Sam groaned in frustration.

"You owe me!" she called back.

"I'm going to get ham now!" Carly responded, her voice growing more faint. Sam contemplated this for a moment, then closed the door, walking towards Freddie. She plopped in the beanbag chair next to him.

"Carly thinks we should talk," Freddie began, not looking at Sam.

"About what?" Sam inquired, looking away from him as well.

"She knows what happened?" Sam snapped her head in his direction.

"What?" she asked through clenched teeth. Freddie felt himself flinch back slightly.

"It just kind of came out," he said. Sam closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"What'd she say?" she finally asked.

"That I needed to be out of your life but you couldn't tell me that yourself because you still love me," Freddie muttered under his breath. Sam still heard every word he said. She sat in silence, staring at the wall for what felt like hours. Finally, she slowly turned her head back towards Freddie.

"I'm with Jason now," she said quietly, a lot more calm than she had been moments ago. "I plan to be with him for a long time." Freddie sighed, scooting himself closer to Sam.

"I'm not asking you to get back together with me," he said, taking her hands in his. "Like I said that night, do what makes you happy. If you want to be with Jason, I'm not going to stop you. I really mean that. What we had was great, but I know that you've moved on." Sam bent her head forward sadly. Freddie lifted it with his finger so he was looking into her eyes. "I genuinely just want you to be happy." Sam's eyes lingered on his, feelings flickering through them rapidly.

"Sometimes," she answered, her voice a thick whisper, "what makes me happy and what's best for me are two completely different things." She sighed softly, looking down at their entwined hands.

"I don't need to be your boyfriend if you don't want," Freddie said, "but I do want to be part of your life agin." His voice was beginning to sound pleading. Sam looked up at him, shaking her head.

"I can't promise that, Freddie," she responded. "I…I don't know if I could handle it." She let go of his hands and folded them over his lap. She stood up and clenched her jaw, begging herself not to cry again. "I'm sorry," she added in a hoarse whisper before turning around and walking out of the room. Freddie stared after her, watching her figure disappear through the door and down the hallway. When the door finally slammed shut, Freddie Benson began to cry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam made her way back downstairs, a flood of emotions running through her head like a waterfall. Jason turned his attention away from the television as she came down the stairs.

"Hey, you've been gone a while," he observed. Sam nodded.

"I was lured into the iCarly studio with false promises of giant hams," she mumbled, settling on the couch next to Jason.

"Why were you up there for so long, then? Carly came back down nearly 20 minutes ago." Sam shrugged.

"It doesn't matter." Jason hit the mute button on the televison and turned to her, a brief moment of anger flashing in his eyes.

"Were you talking to Freddie?" he asked.

"Why does it matter?" Sam asked, staring at the now muted television. Jason grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him, a little too forcefully.

"Ow, what was that about?" she demanded. He kept his hands clenching her shoulders roughly.

"You promised you'd never speak to him again," he growled. Sam winced in the pain of his hands on her shoulders, but said nothing.

"Carly set it up," she said through clenched teeth. "We had some things to discuss apparently."

"What things?" Jason asked. Sam shrugged. "You're cheating on me with him, aren't you, you little skank."

"JASON!" Sam exclaimed. "Why would you even say that?" Sam's expression changed from shock to anger. It took all of her will power not to rear back and punch him in the nose. Jason's eyes softened and his grip on her shoulder loosened. He looked down at the small bit of couch seperating them.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean it, I just…I just don't want to lose you to him. I guess I let my jealously get to me a little," He turned back to the television. Sam scooted closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You're not going to lose me to him," she replied softly, "not ever."

**A/N: So, there's a little of Jason not being totally perfect. But, there's lots more still to come so keep those reviews coming and lemme know what you think!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry this took awhile guys! The internet was down last night so I couldn't update. :-( Anyway, I still really appreciate all the reviews! I'm glad to know you all like my work so much :-).**

**Alphonzo92-I think where I was trying to go with the Jason thing was he was so overcome by jealousy of Sam being around Freddie again that he kind of went crazy. Idk I can see where it might have been rushed a little too. Thanks for the constructive criticism! I appreciate it, seriously!**

**Seddie101-Don't worry, there will be some more Seddie soon! lol Carly is also even more self absorbed than she may seem...just wait and find out! :-)**

**m.t. dog-You're ridiculous! lol I *heart* you!!**

CHAPTER 13

"Anger and jealousy can no more bear to lose sight of their objects than love."

~George Eliot

"_You're not going to lose me to him," she replied softly, "not ever."_ Carly walked through the door minutes before Sam had said that. Her eyes widened in shock. Jason, Sam's supposedly perfect boyfriend, was edging on abusive? She tiptoed her way past the couple on the couch, trying to go un-noticed. She set the bag of groceries on the counter and silently made her way upstairs, hoping Freddie was still there. When she reached the second floor, she began running towards the studio, bursting through the door. Freddie jumped and looked up, hastily wiping his eyes.

"Carly," he said, surprised, "I was just…"

"We have a problem," Carly said, ignoring him. She paced around the room quickly and nervously, looking everywhere but at him.

"What's wrong?" Freddie asked. Carly didn't answer. She continued to pace, mumbling quietly and uninteligibly to herself. "Carly!" Freddie shouted. She jumped, looking over at him.

"What?"

"What's wrong?" he demanded. Carly took a deep breath.

"I think Jason's abusing Sam," she said. Freddie's jaw dropped

"What?" he finally choked out.

"I don't know. I just came back from buying some groceries and I saw him grab her really hard and start yelling at her about you. Then he called her a skank and accused her of cheating and I could tell by her face he was hurting her but she didn't say anything…" Freddie held up his hand to silence her.

"Are you serious?" he asked in a low voice. Carly nodded.

"I can't know for sure if he was hurting her…"

"It doesn't matter," Freddie growled. He looked up at Carly. "I'm going to talk ot him."

"Why?" Carly asked. "It might only get her hurt more."

"No guy should _ever_ treat any girl like that," Freddie said through clenched teeth. He stormed across the room, pushing past Carly. "I'll be back."

"Freddie…" Freddie slammed the door before Carly should continue. She sighed and made her way over to the beanbag chairs, hugging her shaking legs close to her chest and trying to calm her nerves.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jason," Freddie said as calmly as possible as he made his way downstairs. Jason looked over his shoulder towards him.

"Sup, dude?" he asked cooly, calmly. Freddie had to resist attacking him right then an there.

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Jason replied, not moving. Freddie stood behind the couch awkwardly for a minute.

"In private?" he asked finally. Jason looked down at Sam for a bit then back up at Freddie.

"Whatever," he said, standing up. He and Freddie made their way to the guest room. As soon as they were both in, Freddie slammed the door, turning sharply towards Jason.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Freddie just about shouted. Jason squinted his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Carly saw your little episode with Sam." Jason chuckled lightly. "You think this is funny!"

"Look," Jason said sternly. "Sam deserved every bit of that."Freddie felt his hands clench into fists at his sides. Jason walked up to him, sizing him up though they were practically they same height. "I'm not letting my girlfriend turn into a slut because her ex boyfriend is around her again," he said quietly.

"Sam is not a slut," Freddie snarled.

"Look, don't talk to her, don't look at her, don't even think about her," Jason said, his face barely an inch away from Freddie's. "Just stay away from my girl, and nobody gets hurt." Freddie's hands began to shake. He pivoted on his heels, exiting the room before he did something he'd regret. He heard Jason laugh lightly behind him before he made his way back upstairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You're sure he said that?" Carly asked, her pacing starting up again. She brought her hand to her mouth, chewing aggresively at her thumb nail.

"Positive," Freddie said from his spot on the bean bag chair, his head in his hands. "You have to talk to her." Carly stopped in her tracks and turned to him.

"Why me?" she questioned. Freddie looked up at her.

"Do you really think she's going to talk to me again after what happened?" Carly groaned.

"I guess you're right," she finally agreed. "Let's give her some time to cool off, and I'll talk to her first thing tomorrow." Freddie nodded, wiping his palms on his pants.

"Let me know what happens," he said, standing up. "I'd better get back home before my mom worries." Carly nodded.

"I'll text you," she said as he walked out the door. He nodded as he made his way out of the iCarly studio. Once he was gone, Carly sighed and plopped on the floor, despair and nerves filling every bit of her body.

**A/N: I promise more Seddie in the chapter after next! Prepare for a major shock (hopefully) in the next chapter!! Hope you guys liked this one. Keep the reviews coming!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

"It is important to our friends to believe that we are unreservedly frank with them, and important to friendship that we are not."

~Mignon McLaughlin

Carly made her way down the stairs, hoping Jason had gone to bed. She couldn't make out any figures on the couch. She walked around to the front and, to her relief, found Sam laying on the couch, a blanket over her. Jason was nowhere to be seen. Sam looked up at Carly, the glow of the TV illuminating the brunette's body.

"Sup, Carls?" Sam yawned. Carly sat on the floor in front of her best friend.

"We have to talk," Carly said, reaching for the remote. She hit the mute button, silencing the appalling sound of studio audience laughter.

"What about?" Sam asked, not moving from her original spot on the couch. Carly groaned, running a hand through her long black hair.

"It's about Jason." Sam stared at her with a blank look. "Freddie and I…"

"Woah, woah, woah why is he involved in this?" Sam interrupted.

"Just let me finish," Carly sighed. "Freddie and I don't think he's being too nice to you." Sam snorted a laugh.

"Freddie's one to talk about boyfriends being nice to their girlfriends," she shot back.

"Sam, this is serious. I saw you guys after your talk with Freddie. Sam…he's abusing you." Sam made a _pfft_ noise.

"Jason just let his jealousy get to him," Sam defended. "You'd do the same thing if the person you loved was around their ex again."

"I wouldn't react how Jason did."

"So he has a problem with his emotions, big deal! As long as I never talk to Freddie again, it's all OK."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Carly exclaimed. "You're willing to give up one of your oldest friends for a guy you've known for less than a year?"

"Look, it's Freddie's fault it's ending anyway," Sam replied. "He's the one who cheated."

"Sam," Carly moaned, annoyance filling her voice, "it's been a year! Why can't you just get over this?"

"Because I loved him!" Sam just about shouted. She backed away slightly, lowering her voice. "He's the first and only person I've ever really felt that way about, and he chose to ruin it." Carly looked away from Sam, something flashing in her eyes. Sam picked up on it right away. "Carls, what's wrong?" Carly fixed her gaze back on Sam, eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion.

"What if he didn't choose to cheat," Carly finally whispered. Sam's eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you saying?" she asked slowly. Carly shook her head.

"Forget it, it's not important."

"Carly!" Sam demanded, sitting up on the couch and looking down to her best friend. "Tell me." Carly exhaled slowly.

"What if Lizzie didn't show up at Freddie's place by accident? What if…what if she was sent?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

_1 Year Ago  
_

_Carly sat on her couch, staring at the TV. A re-run of an old sit com was playing, filling the main room of her apartment with hideous laughing and clapping sounds. Carly stared at the screen, not actually absorbing anything that was happening. The sound of the door slamming caused her to jump and look up. Spencer entered the apartment, Lizzie following him._

"_What's up, Carlay?" he asked. Carly shrugged, turning back to the TV. "Carls, you alright?"_

"_Let me handle this," Lizzie said, walking over to the couch and sitting next to Carly. "Hey kid, you alright?" she asked softly._

"_I'm bored," Carly mumbled. "Sam's gonna be over at Freddie's all day. It's their two-year anniversary or something."_

"_Ah," Lizzie said, "I get you." Carly turned to Lizzie, scrunching her brows together. "You're jealous that Freddie is getting all of Sam's attention."_

"_She's supposed to be my best friend," Carly said, "not Freddie's."_

"_She's Freddie's girlfriend. Lucky girl too, I kind of miss that kid."_

"_Aren't you with Spencer?" Carly asked. Lizzie shook her head._

"_We actually just broke up," she said in a low voice. "I just came back to get some of my stuff."_

"_I'm sorry to hear that," Carly said. Lizzie shrugged._

"_It was a mutual thing, no big deal." _

"_So, you're totally single now?" Carly asked. "Like, you can go out with anyone else?" Lizzie nodded in confusion._

"_Where are you going with this?"_

"_You just said you missed Freddie," Carly said._

"_Hun, I said kind of and he's dating Sam."_

"_I know," Carly replied, turning back to the TV. "I really want my friend back, and the only way that'll happen is if she breaks up with Freddie."_

"_So you want me to go over there and get them to break up?" Lizze asked. Carly nodded. _

"_Maybe just kiss him a little or something," Carly said nonchalantly. _

"_You want me to ruin their relationship?" Carly turned to Lizzie, a sly smile playing on her lips._

"_Since when do you not like a little risk?"_

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

"_I always like a little taboo," Lizzie whispered into Freddie's ear. He pushed her away._

"_Lizzie," he said sternly, "what we had was great…" his speech was interrupted by a knock at the door. He smiled. "I'm with Sam now," he added, turning towards the door. Lizzie grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her._

"_Why do you need her when you've got me?" Lizzie asked, pushing the hair out of Freddie's eyes. There was another knock on the door, this one more impatient than the last. _

"_I really have to get that," Freddie said, trying to pull away from Lizzie's grip. She held tighter to his wrist, pulling him towards her and pushing him onto the couch. Her lips landed with his, kissing him hard. Freddie felt his eyes fluttering closed as he was taken hostage by his ex-girlfriend's kissing. Suddenly, his apartment door burst open._

"_Benson!" he heard a familiar voice yell. "What is the meaning of…" when her voice broke off in mid-sentence, Freddie knew his life was over.  
_

_*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

Sam stared at the girl on the floor in disbelief. Carly was looking at the ground, tears flooding her vision.

"I didn't think much of it at the time," she said. "I just wanted you to be my best friend again."

"I was still your best friend," Sam said, pushing the blanket off of her feet. "_Was," _she emphasized, sliding off the couch. "How could you?" her hands were on her hips and her eyes were staring daggers at the meek figure on the floor.

"I wasn't thinking," Carly confessed softly. Sam felt her jaw tense up. She had never felt more anger towards anyone than she felt towards Carly at this very moment.

"I think I should stay at my house for the rest of the summer," she said through clenched teeth. She made her way around Carly and towards the guest room. Carly nodded, tears running down her nose and dripping silently onto the wood floor below.

**A/N: I really want your reviews on this chapter! I had an idea for how I wanted to end the story, and this seemed like the only possible way to make it work out. Should I have done it differently, did you like it? I really want to hear your thoughts on this one!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Ok, I'm really glad to hear you liked the last chapter! I was afraid it'd be a little too out of character for Carly. I was trying to portray her as this obnoxious, selfish girl and I'm really glad you guys thought the last chapter worked. Thanks for the reviews!!**

CHAPTER 15

"No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched."

~George Jean Nathan

~*August*~

Sam sat in her own bedroom, staring at the wall. The past month, since the incident with Carly, had been nothing but hell for her. At first, Sam thought Jason's actions were just an act of jealousy; however, being in Seatle had changed him for the worse for whatever reason. She thought back to her conversation with Carly nearly a month ago, wishing more than anything she had listened to her. She self conciously pulled the sleeves of her long-sleeved T-shirt further down her arms, trying to cover the bruses on her wrists. She was glad she hadn't left her house much in the past month, or people would start to wonder why on earth she was wearing jeans and long sleeves in the hottest month of the summer. Luckily, it was raining today, so if she had to leave the house for anything, at least she had a somewhat valid excuse as to why she was dressed for winter. She looked down at her bed. She knew what she had to do, but still had yet to muster the courage to do it.

_You have to do this,_ a voice in her head told her. _Do you really want to live the rest of your life in fear?_ She took a deep breath and slid off of her bed. She made her way out of her room into the living room, where Jason had been sleeping on the pull out sofa. Currently, he sat with his hands behind his head, watching something on TV. Sam walked over to him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Jason, we need to talk," Sam said, not making eye contact with him. Jason looked over at her.

"I don't like those words," he said simply.

"You shouldn't," Sam replied. "It means I'm breaking up with you." Jason was silent, his eyes hard and emotionless. Sam looked up at him, begging for some kind of reaction.

"You're not serious," he finally said, turning back to the TV.

"Yes I am," Sam said forcefully. Jason laughed.

"No, you're not. If you were, well that just wouldn't be good for either of us now, would it?" Sam immediately stood up from the bed.

"I'm going to go over Carly's for a while," Sam said, knowing it was a lie. She and Carly hadn't spoken since their last encounter in July. Sam turned around and began walking away when Jason's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist forcefully. Sam winced in the pain.

"Jason…" she started to whine, attempting to pull out of his grip. It was too strong. He pulled her over to him as he stood up from the bed.

"You're not going anywhere," he hissed. He grabbed her other wrist equally as hard. Sam could feel the old bruises begin to reappear, and fresh bruises starting to form.

"Jason, you're hurting me," she said weakly, knowing it was no use. He turned around, pinning her to the wall next to the sofa. He held her arms above her head with one hand, his face inches from her's.

"Is this about Freddie?" he asked, his breath stale in her face. She shook her head. "Then why would you want to break up with me?"

"Jason, you're abusive!" Sam shouted before thinking. Jason looked like he just took a blow to the face.

"I'll show you abusive, you bitch," Jason growled, rearing back and slapping Sam hard in the face. Sam could feel her cheek burning like a hot iron from the contact of his palm. She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of her crying. Jason threw her to the floor, his foot making a hard, forceful contact with her ribs. Sam cried out softly, hoping he didn't hear it. Jason bent down and grabbed her arms, picking her up and throwing her onto the bed. He was on top of her shortly, beginning to rip her clothes off.

"You're not breaking up with me," he growled. "I'll show you why you're not breaking up with me."

"Jason, no," Sam pleaded. "Stop!" He didn't listen. He continued tearing off her clothes, not caring if they came off in one piece or not. Sam continued to beg him to stop, but nothing she did made him listen.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam found herself running through the rain, ignoring the searing pain shooting from her ribs. When Jason had finished, she'd thrown her old clothes back on and ran. Her shirt hung from her frame, torn down the sides and slightly up the arms. Her jeans had tears in the knees and at the bottoms, but she didn't care. The cold rain stung her bare skin, cooling the side of her face where Jason's hand had left a mark. Her bare feet began to grow numb in the icy mud and water. She ignored it, pressing on. She wasn't sure where she was going until she found herself running up the stairs of Freddie and Carly's apartment complex. She made it to the spot between their two apartments and stopped, shivering violently from the rain. Finally, she turned one and knocked impatiently on the door. After what seemed like hours the door finally opened.

"Sam? What…what the hell happened to you?!" Sam walked forward weakly, and collapsed into Freddie. He wrapped his arms soothingly around her shaking form. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and began to cry. They stood in the doorway of his apartment for nearly twenty minutes, Sam wrapped in Freddie's arms. He mumbled comforting words into her ear, trying to calm her down enough to walk. Finally, she looked up into his eyes, her sobbing quieted. He walked her over to the couch, closing the door behind him. They sat on the couch, Sam still snuggled up next to Freddie.

"Now, can you try to tell me what happened?" Freddie asked gently, his arms still wrapped protectively around Sam. She was still trembling, her teeth chattering slighly. Freddie reached behind him and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around her body, and enclosing her in his arms once again. She gripped the blanket tightly around her and took a deep breath.

"Jason," she whispered hoarsly. "He…he did this."

"Did what?" Freddie asked, his voice becoming slightly more urgent. Sam buried her head into his neck again, not saying anything. "Sam," Freddie pleaded, "please tell me." She finally looked back up at his face. "Did he hit you?" Freddie asked. Sam nodded slowly. Freddie felt his arms tighten around her small form. She winced as he hit the spot where Jason had kicked her. "What is it?"

"He…kicked me…in the ribs," she gasped. Freddie immediately relaxed his grip, and a look of relief washed over Sam's face.

"Is…is that all?" Freddie asked nervously, knowing he needed to hear the rest, but not sure if he wanted to. Sam shook her head. "What else happened?" Sam shook her head again, signaling she didn't want to tell him. Freddie gently put his hand to her face and turned it so she was looking at him. "Sam," he said, gently yet forcefully. "Please tell me what happened."

"After he was done…hitting me, he…" her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath and spoke, her voice so low Freddie had to bend down so his ear was right by her mouth to hear her. "He…raped me." Freddie froze, every nerve in his body becoming stiff as a bone. Sam scooted away from him, cowering into the back of the couch. She knew that look all-too-well, it was the same look Jason gave when he was about to hit her. Freddie looked down at her petrified face and slowly scooted closer to her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered into her ear, gently stroking her hair. She turned and looked into his soft, sensitive brown eyes, feeling heself relax at the sight of them. He softly pressed his lips to her's, every bit of pain he felt for her and anger he felt towards Jason filling the kiss. Sam kissed him back, weak and fragile. Freddie felt his heart shatter at the hurt he could sense through her kiss. Just as suddenly as it had happened, it was over. Freddie stood up quickly. "I'll be back," he said. She grabbed his hand before he could leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked nervously. He pulled his hand out of her grasp.

"I'm going to kill that sonofabitch," he growled, quickly walking out of his apartment, leaving Sam alone on the couch.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Freddie burst through the Puckett's house, immediately finding Jason on the pull out sofa bed.

"What are you doing here?" Jason demanded, looking over at Freddie.

"What the _fuck_ did you do to Sam?" Freddie shouted, making his way over to Jason. Jason's face went hard as stone as he stood up from the bed.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my girl, and nobody gets hurt," Jason growled through his teeth, his face inches from Freddie's.

"Well, I guess now somebody's getting hurt," Freddie growled back. He reared back, shoving Jason into the wall with all of his strength. Jason went stumbling, hitting the wall with enough force to shake the picture frame hanging above. Freddie was quickly on top of him, his arms flailing wildly. He heard a satisfying crunch as his fist made contact with Jason's nose. Jason cried out in pain, flipping the two of them over and punching Freddie hard in the mouth.

"What are you fighting for, Benson?" Jason seethed. "Sam's my girl." He leaned closer to Freddie, a smug look filling his eyes. "_All_ mine." That was enough to send Freddie over the edge. He shoved Jason off of him with his legs and flew on top of him, his fists coming in contact with everything they could hit. He felt his fists hit the soft flesh of Jason's stomach, the hard bone of his face, and the soft tissue of his lips. Freddie continued to rain punches on the boy, making sure no part of his body was left un-bruised. Finally, Freddie stood up, spitting out the blood that had began to fill his mouth from Jason's earlier punch to his face. Before Freddie walked out of the house, he reared back and kicked Jason in the balls with as much force as he could muster. He bent down to the boy's face that was starting to contort with pain.

"Sam's not your girl," Freddie hissed. "Not anymore."

**A/N: So…kind of violent. I considered not putting the fight scene in here, just kind of making it obvious that they fought while not actually describing it, but I thought it'd be better if I put this in here. What do you guys think? Lemme know!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sadly, this fic is almost to an end :-(. I'll have this chapter, and either one or two more, it depends on how long this chapter gets. Anyway, I'm glad you've all enjoyed it! Thanks again for the wonderful reviews!!**

CHAPTER 16

"A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love."

~Henri B. Stendhal

Freddie made his way back to his apartment building, trekking through mud and puddles. The rain had stopped, but dark clouds still covered the sky, threatening to spill their contents any moment. Freddie felt his shoes squelch in the mud, sinking just enough to make it a struggle to keep moving forward. He finally reached his apartment building, feeling grateful to finally be walking on solid ground. He made his way up the stairs and to his apartment, throwing the door open. He revealed a shocking sight: the room was empty. Sam was nowhere to be found. He walked in, ignoring the amount of mud he was tracking into the area. He found a small note taped to the coffee table. He picked it up, reading it carefully.

_Freddie,_

_I've gone back home to sort things out. I don't expect I'll find my boyfriend in the same condition I left him. You may be a dork, but I'm pretty sure you could do some damage to the kid. Anyway, I want to thank you for always being there for me. It's not easy for me to say, but I don't know what I would've done without you. If we could go back, maybe things would be different. Unfortunately, things are the way they are for a reason. Always keep hope alive, right?_

_Always,_

_Sam xoxo_

Freddie read and re-read the note until the words began to blur on the page. She was going back home? After what that asshole did to her? He collapsed on his couch, holding the note in front of him. His eyes scanned the lines rapidly over and over, tying to figure out what it all meant. Always keep hope alive? For what…that Jason would stop being abusive? Finally, he crumpled the note in his hands and threw it on the floor. After all he'd done for her, this was the thanks he got?

_Fuck her,_ he thought. _Maybe Carly's right, maybe it is time I got over her!_ He sighed shaking his head. _Who am I kidding? Regardless of the decisions she makes, I'll still love her more than anything._ He sighed and stood up, beginning to walk aimlessly around his apartment and searching desperately for something to take his mind off this whole situation. Just as he was about to give up all hope, someone knocked on his front door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam burst through the front door of her house, breathing heavily. She had run all the way from Freddie's apartment, only this time, she didn't have the adrenaline pumping to keep her energized. She paused for a second to catch her breath, then darted into her room. She grabbed a duffel bag out of her closet and began carelessly flinging random items into it. She grabbed armfuls of clothes, tossing them haphazardly into the bag. In the midst of her stuffing a few pairs of jeans into the bag, someone stumbled into the door frame.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" an all too familiar voice choked out. Sam looked up and saw Jason for the first time since she went to Freddie's. His left eye was beginning to swell shut, his lip was cracked and bleeding in two places, his hands were at his side, clutching his ribcage, and his nose was bent in an extremely unnatural way. Sam felt her breathing stop for a second, then a small smile slowly began to form on her lips.

"The dork did this to you?" she asked, holding back a giggle. She'd never thought Freddie would actually have it in him to beat the kid up. Jason ignored it, taking a few painful steps forward.

"What are you doing?" he repeated. Sam's smile immediately fell from her face.

"Packing," she said simply, continuing with the task at hand.

"For what?"

"Why does it matter?" she asked, attempting to shove another pair of jeans into the already stuffed duffel bag.

"Sam," Jason said softly, his voice pleading. "Please don't go. We can work out what happened. I…I let my anger get the better of me. I'm sorry. What I did was terrible, horrible, and I'll never _ever_ do anything like that again." He was now inches away from Sam, his hand on top of her's, momentarily stopping her shoving of clothes. "Please Sam, I need you." Sam looked at him for a moment, studying his face. "I promise to never hurt you again," Jason whispered.

"Damn right you do," Sam growled, wrenching her hand away from his, "because we're over. I'm done with you and giving you second chances. What you did this time was unforgiveable." She angrily zipped the duffel bag shut, slinging it over her shoulder and wincing as it hit the side of her rib cage where Jason had kicked her. "I never want to see you ever again," she added, shoving past him. He stumbled back into the wall as she exited her room. She continued walking until she reached the front door.

"Sam!" Jason called as she opened the door. "Sam! You're making a big mistake!" Sam turned around, a look of pure hate in her eyes.

"You're the biggest mistake I've ever made." And with that, she was gone.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sam knocked impatiently on Freddie's door. In reality, it had been about five seconds since she'd arrived at his door, but it seemed like hours. Her fist beat a rapid, angry rhythem on his door until it finally opened. He looked down at Sam, an expression of shock forming on his face.

"Surprised?" she asked. He nodded.

"Why…why are you here?" he asked timidly.

"Glad to see you too, Freddie," she shot back sarcastically.

"No, I mean…your note…"

"Said I was going back to sort things out, not going back to Jason."

"You said…"

"Things are the way they are for a reason? That things might've been different?" Freddie nodded. Sam took a deep breath. "I meant that maybe I wouldn't be dating an abusive ass, and maybe I wouldn't have made the biggest mistake of my life." She was looking at the ground, afraid to see Freddie's expression.

"What would that mistake be?" he asked, leaning against the door frame, a playful smile beginning to form on his lips. She looked up into his warm eyes.

"Ever having let you go," she whispered. "I know how the whole Lizzie thing went down. Carly told me like a month ago." Freddie nodded.

"You still haven't answered my question," he replied. "Why are you here?" Sam shrugged.

"I'm hoping you'll consider forgiving a very stupid, heartless girl. And I'm also hoping you'll consider letting me stay here until the end of summer?" Freddie took a step towards Sam.

"One condition," he said. She looked up at him, her brows furrowing.

"Anything," she answered. He held out his arms, inviting her in for a hug. She dropped her bag and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"I'll do all of that," he whispered, "if you consider getting back together with me." She laughed, looking up at his face.

"It's already been considered," she whispered back.

**A/N: This is not the end of the story! I'm probably going to have one more chapter than the epilogue. I'll probably make the next chapter mostly a nice little Seddie fluff thing. So, yay! R&R if you'd like!!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I know I said I was going to do this chapter than an epilogue, but I changed my mind. I realized I left a few holes in this story. So, this will be the ending chapter, and I'm going to write a sequel very soon! The sequel will most likely be called "iDo" or something along those lines so keep your eyes out for it!!**

CHAPTER 17

"A woman knows the face of the man she loves as a sailor knows the open sea."

~Honore de Balzac

"_It's already been considered," she whispered back._ Freddie felt a huge smile begin to form on his face. He looked down at Sam, his eyes beaming with happiness.

"I'm so sorry Freddie," she said, her eyes still connected with his. "I shouldn't have ever let you go before. I talked to Carly a while ago and she told me…"

"I know," Freddie cut off. "She told me as well. I still can't believe she'd do something like that." Sam nodded.

"Do we forgive her?" she asked. Freddie seemed to contimplate that question for a moment.

"I guess," he finally answered. He bent down towards her face, his lips brushing her's very softly. "But we have to take care of some other stuff, first," he mumbled into her mouth. He felt her smile as he pressed his lips to her's. She sighed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Freddie kissed her with all the passion he held in his body. He wrapped his arms even tighter around Sam's waist, kissing her more deeply. His tongue gently passed over her lips, and she gladly opened them. She began running her hands through his hair, kissing him harder than she thought possible. Freddie broke the kiss to lift her up bridal style, carrying her to his room. Sam giggled.

"I can walk, you know," she teased as he placed her on his bed.

"This is more fun," he said, holding himself above her small frame. She smiled, bringing her arms around his neck and pulling him down for another kiss. He softly kissed her lips, then began trailing kisses across her jaw and down her neck. He felt her hands slowly trail up his shirt, her fingers running up and down his muscled back. His lips found her's again and he began kissing her hard, his tongue darting around her mouth. She moaned and began sliding his shirt up. He broke the kiss momentarily to slip completely out of his shirt. He began kissing Sam again as she trailed her hands down his abs, sighing passionately into his lips. His own hand began trailing up the front of her shirt. She giggled softly as his fingers pressed a sensitive spot of her stomach. Suddenly, without warning, Freddie pulled away. Sam made a soft whining sound in the back of her throat.

"Sam," Freddie sighed, running his hands through his hair, "I gotta say something. During our two-year, I kept picturing how this moment would be, I mean you and I doing…_it _for the first time." Sam sat up on her elbows, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"We already did _it_ for the first time," she said back.

"Yeah, but neither of us were really thinking very clearly at that point," Freddie said. He sighed, looking away. "To tell you the truth," he mumbled, "that was my first time…period." Sam's eyes widened in shock.

"Seriously?" she said, surprised.

"I told you I haven't had a girlfriend since you," he said.

"You've had girlfriends before me." Freddie shrugged.

"They were always too short to go anywhere," he said simply. Sam nodded. "Can I ask you something, you know beofore I say what I wanted to say originally."

"Sure," Sam replied. Freddie took a deep breath, looking down at the bed.

"Was I your first?" he muttered, barely audible. Sam took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Jason and I…" she started.

"Yeah, I figured," Freddie said before she could finish.

"But," Sam added, lifting his face so he was looking at her, "you were the best." His eyes immediately lit up. She smiled. "I just never felt the same about Jason as I do about you."

"Which brings me to my next point," Freddie said. Sam raised an eyebrow as he reached over to his night stand, pulling out the drawer. He placed the drawer on the bed next to Sam and began rifiling through its contents. He finally extracted something from it, but enclosed it completely in his hand before Sam could see what it was. He jumped off of her so he was at the side of the bed.

"I love you," he said as he began to sink to one knee. "I love you more than I've ever loved anybody in my entire life." Sam had an expression of surprise forming on her face. Freddie unwrapped his fingers, displaying the ring in his palm. Sam gasped.

"Freddie…"

"I meant to give this to you on our two-year," he said, holding the ring out to her. "It's not an engagement ring, it's a promise ring. It's my promise to love you and only you for the rest of my life, and it's my promise to marry you one day. So, in other words: Sam, will you marry me?" Sam sat on his bed, speechless.

"Freddie, I…I don't know what to say."

"You could say yes," Freddie said hopefully. Sam laughed, realizing she hadn't given her answer yet.

"Of course," she replied, jumping off the bed and throwing her arms around his neck. He smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. He slipped the ring onto her finger and she held it up in front of her face.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"You're beautiful," Freddie replied, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She leaned towards him, kissing him with every ounce of passion she held in her body. Freddie groaned quietly, wrapping his arms securely around her waist. She finally pulled away and looked into his warm, loving brown eyes.

"That ring is my promise," Freddie said, staring lovingly into her baby blue eyes, "that no matter what happens, for the rest of my life, I only wanna be with you."

**A/N: THE END!! Hope you enjoyed this story! The sequel should be out very soon. Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the sequel if you're interested!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


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